


A Scene Without You

by bugimons



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: A Christmas fic in the middle of the summer, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-17 14:23:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11277093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugimons/pseuds/bugimons
Summary: //Without you, I’m a wingless butterflyI’m still shivering in the cold because you’re not here//Winter has arrived, but it does little to soothe the pain in Jonghyun's heart. It's their first Christmas without him, after all.





	A Scene Without You

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know it's a little early to be posting Christmas/winter fic, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. I recommend listening to [I'm Bad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYyV6Gi4sJw) and [A Scene Without You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb316j3U-qo) to get the mood for this fic. (I listened to them non-stop while writing this)
> 
> Update: I'm now moving my works across to my other account, bugimons, where i'll be posting my other kpop fics when i get around to writing them

He watched the snow fall outside, like tiny little crystals descending from the sky and covering the land with their wintery touch. 

Winter was one of his favorite seasons. He loved how he could wear his oversized T-shirts without getting looks from others because they would just assume that he was cold. However, this winter felt different to him. He couldn't help but feel a gnawing sense of melancholy as he gazed outside the window. 

“Hyung,” came Dongho’s gentle voice

Jonghyun broke away from the window, turning his head to face Dongho. Dongho leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. 

“The tree won't decorate itself if you keep staring out of the window.”

Jonghyun gave Dongho a small smile. “I'll be there in a bit. Tell Minki and Aron hyung that they can go ahead and start.”

Dongho opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something else, but then closed it once more and left the room. Jonghyun leaned back against the wall and released a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

The last couple of months were not easy. The empty space next to him was so disconcerting for the first few weeks. Getting used to the fact that Minhyun wasn't there with him was hard. When they came back with their new song; watching Minhyun perform with the rest of the Wanna One members; it was all so painful. Jonghyun was in the bathroom so often that he could draw the exact order of the tiles from memory. He had to keep the image of a strong, reliable leader after all. 

Sometimes he found himself preparing an extra set of chopsticks and spoon when they ate out together. The other members would notice, but said nothing. At first, he resented them. How could they get over it so quickly? Did they not miss him too? Did they not feel the gaping hole that his presence would normally fill? 

But then, he started to notice little things. Dongho went to the gym more often. Aron was more touchy, spent more time in his room. Minki became clingy. Sometimes at night, he would hear the soft sound of Minhyun's caller ring emanating from Minki’s room. 

Minhyun's birthday was particularly difficult for all of them. Minhyun wasn't allowed to leave the dorm, and they weren't allowed to go visit him either. 

It felt so wrong.

It felt like Minhyun was locked in a far away tower and there was no hope of them rescuing him. Jonghyun ran a hand through his hair. He wondered if joining the program was a mistake. Even if Pledis disbanded Nu’est, at least they would still be together. Two years as an incomplete set were too long. He didn't know if he would be able to hold out for so long. 

Aron’s crow-like laughter rang throughout the dorm. Jonghyun took a deep breath. It was Christmas today. No matter how much he missed Minhyun, he still had a duty as a leader and he wouldn't let the holiday be ruined for the rest of them because he couldn't hold himself together. He placed a hand on the doorknob and turned the handle.

* * *

 

“You're out!” shrieked Minki, wrapping his arms around him. Dongho acknowledged his presence with a small nod, and then continued to wrap tinsel around the tree. 

“Oh good, you're here,” said Aron, walking out of the storage room with a box cradled in his arms. “I've brought the rest of the decorations because we couldn't decide which ornaments to use.”

“I wanted to make it all red,” Minki piped up, still clinging onto his body. 

“The tree was red last year, don't you remember?” Dongho said, exasperated. “And it was red the year before that too!”

“Well what do you want?” Minki shot back. “If you're going to criticize my art, you better have an idea in mind or else your opinion is pointless.”

Aron gave Jonghyun a look.  _ See what I've had to deal with _ ? His face said silently. 

Jonghyun sighed. “Guys, why don’t we compromise and customize our own layers of the tree? That way everyone is happy.” 

Dongho gave a nod of approval. “I’d like that.” 

Minki released him from his hug and happily went towards the box of red ornaments, buzzing with excitement. “No one is allowed to touch my portion of the tree!” he said gleefully.

Aron shook his head, amused. “A very diplomatic answer, J-ah. As expected of our leader.”

Together, they started to decorate the tree. It mostly went off without a hitch, if one ignored the occasional dropped ornament. 

Jonghyun stepped away from the tree and admired his handiwork. He chose yellow as the theme for his section of the tree. Yellow ornaments were hard to come by though, so he compromised for gold instead. Around him, the other members were also admiring their work on the tree. But then, his eyes drifted to the top of the tree and his heart sank. 

“I’m so sorry,” he started. “I didn’t realize I-” 

The trill of the doorbell interrupted him mid-sentence. All heads turned to look at the door.

“Hyung, did you order something?” 

Aron shook his head. “I didn’t. Dongho, did you?”

“Nope.”

The dorm they all shared was rather old, so it lacked the fancy video screen of the newer buildings. 

As the maknae, Minki was automatically volunteered to open the door to check who was outside. He set off with much grumbling. 

When he heard Minki's shriek of surprise, his heart started to pound in his chest.  _ It's too late for Halloween. It can't be him. No way.  _

Aron and Dongho ran over to the door to see what was going on, but Jonghyun’s legs refused to move. It felt like time slowed down all of a sudden. 

He could remember the automated voice at the end of Minhyun’s phone, telling him that the number he was trying to reach was unavailable. The sleepless nights when he would just lie in bed, listening to the sound of Minhyun’s caller ring over and over again. He remembered the disappointment he felt when Minhyun finally picked up and told him that he wasn’t allowed to leave. 

The door swung open fully, revealing a face he thought he would never see again. 

“Jonghyun-ah, I’m home.”

The spell holding him in place broke, and he found himself running towards Minhyun, hugging him ferociously. He buried his face into Minhyun’s neck, a hand caressing the back of his head. He felt Minhyun’s arms wrap around him in return, the warmness of his breath brushing against his ear.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t call you.” Minhyun murmured. 

Jonghyun looked up at Minhyun and caressed his face with one hand. “Never apologize for circumstances that were outside of your control.” He smiled at him, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. “Thank you for coming back.”

Minki cleared his throat. “If you lovebirds can continue this later, there’s a tree that’s still waiting to be finished.”

Jonghyun quickly broke away from Minhyun, giving a sheepish look to the rest of the Nu’est members. “Right, sorry.” He slipped his hand into Minhyun’s and led him inside.

* * *

 

When the festivities slowed down, Jonghyun took a moment to slip away to the roof. It had stopped snowing now and the ground was covered in a blanket of white. A few stars twinkled in the night sky. He took a deep breath and exhaled, watching his breath swirl in the cold air.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Jonghyun turned around to find Minhyun leaning against the doorframe. “Minhyun...how did you find me?”

Minhyun gave him one of his infuriatingly cute smiles. “Jonghyun-ah, we’ve known each other for years.” He tapped his temple with a finger. “I know where your hiding places are.”

There was a moment of silence as they stood there, drinking-in each other’s presence. It was the first time that Jonghyun could really look at him properly. He was dressed very casually, a light blue sweater hanging loosely over a pair of pants that were rolled up slightly at the calves. Jonghyun couldn’t help but smile when he realized that Minhyun’s sweater was the one that he wore when they were filming Daybreak. As his eyes travelled up from the sweater, they met Minhyun’s.

“I’ve missed you,” Minhyun started. “I wanted to see you so badly, you don’t know how hard I begged them to let me out.”

“Shh.” Jonghyun walked over and placed a finger on Minhyun’s lips. “I almost forgot how talkative you were. I said earlier that you had no reason to apologize, so shut up Wang Minhyun.” He tiptoed and gave Minhyun a quick kiss on the cheek. “We have a lot to catch up on.” he whispered.

Jonghyun had been worried that Christmas would be horrible that year, but now as he was cuddled up next to Minhyun, the weather felt a little less cold. 


End file.
